Fins are Forever COVER REVEAL!

As part of the Splash Team, I had the opportunity to reveal the cover along with the other Splash Teamers. Isn't this cover just gorgeous? I really can't wait any longer for it to come out. I mean, JUNE 28 of NEXT YEAR? -tear- I know one thing for sure, though...the bright colors are outrageously out of this world! Count on them to brighten up your day.

Thankfully, I can countdown with this widget...

Nightshade Trailer

Nightshade is one awesome book. Too bad I can't show its awesomeness with my trailer. The audio tracks don't blend well together :( Buuuuuut, I WILL fix this. I just need to watch a bunch of tutorials of garageband so I can blend the tracks together. Then, I will reupload, lol. I've tried EVERYTHING on my program to no avail...I guess it isn't that bad though... I know it's not my best trailer.

BUT, Nightshade is one AMAZING book. You can read my review below this post! Nightshade is the book I'm most looking forward to in October, even if I've already read it. CALLA FTW <3

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Rating: 4.6/5

Synopsis: Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice

Review: I loveeeeeeed this book. I'd heard fabulous things about it before, but I was hesitant to start it. I mean, another werewolf book? No, thank you. Fortunately, I opened it up and sped through it like it was my only way to survive. I remember going back to reread parts because I didn't want to finish the book. It was just that good. I LOVED Calla. She represented such strength that most girls would die to have. Cremer's hand at a werewolf book is like no other. Starting it, I realized, "Whoa," because it was just SO different from what I usually read in books. It had layers underneath layers, proving that it was a real gem. Do you know how everyone says each book has its own world? Well, I never wanted to leave NIGHTSHADE's.

The only aspect I'm concerned about is the romance. Sure, both boys are lovely, but I felt like I failed to grasp their importance to the story and Calla. To me, the romance never really happened. I hope this improves in the second book.

All in all, NIGHTSHADE is perfect even with its imperfections.

What I thought of...

The Beginning: The first sentence hooked me in right away.

The Middle: SO. MUCH. GOODNESS.

The End: Such a cliffhanger...it pains me to have to wait for the next book D;

I am part of a tour stop for Nightshade! Check back tomorrow for a fanmade trailer :)

FTC: Won an ARC

Back to Books Contest Winners

Nightshade Contest has been extended (Date to be announced!

HUSH, HUSH WINNER: @KaitorTot fromKaitlyn in Bookland

Rules of Attraction/Perfect Chemistry: Haven't heard from previously announced winner so...a new one has been chosen! Kathy, from I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, please send me your addy!

BEFORE I FALL: Ashley from Ashley's Bookshelf!

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in this event, you were awesome. I hope readers enjoyed this!


<3

High School Book Clubs: What would YOU want in them?

Okay, let me rant a little: ever since school started, it has been such a pain. It's barely the second week of school and I've already had about 9 tests. I'm so sick of it. Only 171 days of school to go. I'm already counting down...

But anyway, the most exciting thing that happened since then was that my friend came up to me, and asked me if I wanted to start a book club with her! We actually had this idea last year, but the school year was already ending x) Plus, I don't think freshmen could have started clubs...

So, we're actually copresidents of the book club! (Once we're approved that is...) It is called Friends of the ABC (props to those who know what book this name refers to. Hint: the title is French...) ABC, for us, will actually stand for Awesome Book Club. My friend (she came up with the name! :D) is actually huge on classics and historical fiction while I'm big on anything YA...so yup, our club will have a lot of variety~

Maybe it's not a big deal to you, but our high school doesn't even have a LIBRARY. It's called the "Media Center," but all it has are textbooks and school books. The only books in there that we don't use are ANCIENT. I'm talking yellow-paged, dog-eared, and smelly books. :(

\rant over.../

What I'm asking is: What would YOU want in your high school book club, if you were part of it? Please, please leave suggestions in the comments! We've already thought of going to book related events like signings and book festivals, reading to children, and doing book fundraisers, but then...we ran out. SO PLEASE SUGGEST ANYTHING. NOTHING WOULD BE STUPID TO US. I KNOW NOT MANY PEOPLE WILL COMMENT SO LET'S "BRIBEEEE!"ANYONE WHO COMMENTS WILL BE ENTERED IN A RANDOM DRAWING TO WIN A HUNGER GAMES T-SHIRT! (YOU WILL CHOOSE WHICH ONE) JUST COMMENT WITH A SUGGESTION. IF YOU FIND OUT WHERE FRIENDS OF THE ABC COMES FROM, THEN YOU GET ANOTHER ENTRY. Okay, I'll stop yelling in caps now....contest will end Sept 31. US only.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm working on reviews so my blog won't be dead anymore...doing homework on Fridays have become a habit so I'm freeeeee. :)

Back to Books: Judith Graves

[It has been a week since the latest B2B post. Lauren and I are SO sorry. People haven't been sending in their posts on time, and school got in the way. Now, life is all about school, school, school, and other stuff. I have no time for anything. So here is today's post! Wednesdays are supposed to be giveaway posts, but please bare with us XD]

Coil Notebooks: A Writer’s Obsession

Back to school can be a dark time in my house. Not because my husband is a high school social studies teacher and I’m an elementary school library technician – and back to school means an end to summer. Nope. I’m talking about my coil notebook obsession and how it drains our bank balance every fall.

As a young adult paranormal fiction author, I’ve made it my duty to scoop up any gothic notebooks I find. But I write edgy YA as well, therefore I stand in line for the tattoo-ish, doodle designs as well. And I have a few picture books I’ve been working on, so I have to nab the cutise ones too.

What do I use all these notebooks for, you ask? Well, some are for future plot ideas, character trait journals, random dialogue, nifty word diaries, flash fiction pieces, lyrics, poetry….and some are too stunning to write in at all. Those are for pure wow-ain’t-that-pretty moments of inspiration.

I found a few of my favourite notebook companies online, you can check them out here:

Ecojot (http://www.ecojot.com/) - recycled paper, cute designs and Canadian! Can’t ask for more.

Carolina Pad (http://www.carolinapad.com/) – cool notebooks, bags, you name it.

Etsy (www.etsy.com) also has an amazing selection of handmade, unusual designs. I could spend hours skimming through the online shops to find steals like these (some are more elaborate and expensive than others):

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54582093/apocalypse-xxiv-awesome-leather-journal

http://www.etsy.com/listing/34524093/wildflowers-notebook-recycled-paper


You can even go to a site like Vista Print (www.vistaprint.com) or Café Press (www.cafepress.ca) and have notebooks custom made – a great idea for a school fundraiser, art class projects, or team/club bonding thingie. ;)

I feel I’m neglecting another important facet of back to school shopping. Along with each gem of a notebook, there must be an equally fantastic pen…but that’s another post. Happy Back to School Season!

Who am I? I’m Judith Graves, YA paranormal author of Under My Skin (Leap Books, 2010) and Second Skin (Leap Books, 2011) and a member of the amazing Class of 2k10. Check out my site: www.judithgraves.com and the 2k10 site to meet 23 coolio debut authors: www.classof2k10.com

Back to Books: Giveaway from Me | Day 008

Before I say anything, can you believe it is ALREADY September?

By the time this post is up, it'll be the first day of school for me. All those relaxing summer days? THEY'RE GONE...the bright side is, today is Wednesday, which means school starts at 9. More sleep? Heck yes. *happy dances*

And there's always those pesky rumors about your new teachers. Sometimes, they turn out true, and other times, they don't. First days aren't usually "first days," just teacher introductions. Gah, I wish I had one more week...Please cross your fingers for me to have a very good first day! In case you are wondering, I'm going into my sophomore year of high school...

When school starts, I always say to myself, "Hey, at least you'll have more books to read!" And it's true! For today, I'm going to give away a SIGNED ARC of NIGHTSHADE--something for all of you guys going back to school to look forward too. It is a wonderful, wonderful book. Expect the review to come this month...and a trailer... ;D

To enter, just comment on this post with a short paragraph on the funniest thing that happened during this summer. If we get enough entries, I will pick from the funniest. If not, randomizer FTW. If our contest is THAT lonely, we'll just open this up to extra entries...let's see how it goes ;) I'll leave this contest up until the end of the B2B special. Ends 09/13 midnight, California time